The Celebrity CEO: How Entrepreneurs Can Thrive by Building a Community and a Strong Personal Brand. By Ramon Ray. Indigo River Publishing, 2019.
Gone are the days when CEOs were not especially well known outside the confines of the company they were leading. In many cases today, the chief executive is the public face of the company. The Celebrity CEO drives home the new reality that CEOs who build their personal brand can also boost their business. Actionable guidance on building an authentic brand ranges from narrowing in on your local market to practicing delivering your message every chance you get—even if that simply means taking the mic during a business event’s Q&A session.
The Enlightened Capitalists: Cautionary Tales of Business Pioneers Who Tried to Do Well by Doing Good. By James O’Toole. Harper Business, 2019.
Calls for greater social and environmental stewardship from business might seem patently modern. But James O’Toole shows that business leaders have long struggled to marry profit and social responsibility. His historical narrative draws on both old-school examples (philanthropic jeans-maker Levi Strauss) and modern ones (The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, a leader in banning animal testing in cosmetics) to explore the ups and downs of making money while attempting to do good. At the heart of The Enlightened Capitalists is the question of shareholder capitalism’s compatibility with business—a topic of heightened interest as more consumers aim to align their buying habits with their values.
Hivemind: The New Science of Tribalism in Our Divided World. By Sarah Rose Cavanagh, PhD. Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
A scroll on Facebook or Twitter is proof enough—societies are polarizing as many seek only the information that reaffirms their beliefs. Psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh draws on her academic background to explore how human beings as social creatures often sync up around shared ideas, for better and for worse. Trekking through topics as fascinating and diverse as religion and Facebook’s boardroom, Hivemind examines how social media has shaped the way we interact. The book provides a road map for cutting through tribalism, worrying less about the takeover of technology and focusing more on building a greater sense of community. It is not just sound advice for healthier personal lives—it is increasingly relevant to leading in the workplace.
This article appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of IQ Insigniam Quarterly. To begin receiving IQ, go here.
